It was short in coming, but barely two months after they returned to lecture theatres, university teachers are back to the trenches with the federal government, planning to down tools. Students would have to, again, pack their bags and go home, first monthly, and may be indefinitely.
According to sundry reports, while many uncompromising members of the teachers’ Union want the indefinite strike to commence on Monday, 14th February, 2022, some others prevailed for a month’s warning strike as a prelude to an indefinite one. A decision is expected to be made public as early as 9.30 a.m. on Monday.
The union’s top decision making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will make the decision known after a two-day meeting of the NEC at the University of Lagos, Akoka.
The one month warning strike period, according to sources at the NEC meeting, is to give the federal government a last chance to save the day by meeting the union’s demands.
Recall that a week ago, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) showed that it was not impressed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s word that the Federal Government would honour promises made to it to prevent disruptive strikes, encourage uninterrupted academic programmes and improve funding of educational institutions.
The union described the actions of the government as that of an unfaithful spouse, just three days after President Buhari told religious leaders of his administration’s new resolve to keep its word.
In what appeared to be a direct reaction to the President’s meeting with the religious leaders, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the Union, said in a statement two Thursdays ago: “The government’s pattern of response to issues is that of a serial promise breaker.
“Like an unfaithful spouse, they are unable to match their words with action which is affecting the education sector negatively.
“We are tired of their deceit and it is time for us to take action and so we want to inform Nigerians that we are tired of fruitless meetings with the Minister of Labour, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the Chief of Staff to the President, among others.
“If they ever want us to listen to them, they should first of all act on the promises they have already made,” he said.
ASUU embarked on an earlier strike over the failure of Federal Government to address all the issues raised in the 2009 agreement it entered with the union.
The chairman wondered why government had continued to defend the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), a system, he said, has been thrashed by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
Maigoro maintained that the demands of the union are not personal, but a conscious effort aimed at uplifting the standard of university education in the country.
He added that over the years, the union had engaged government over all the issues and it promised immediate implementation, but nothing has been done till date.
“In the light of this, we want Nigerians to know that we are no longer interested in the promises of an unfaithful philandering spouse.
“In the mean time, we are resolved to proceed on an indefinite and comprehensive strike until fidelity returns to our relationship with the government and our demands are met; We are tired of going the back and forth.
“This Brownian motion must stop! We are determined to end the dubious pronouncements by government claiming commitment to sound university education and fidelity to collective agreement.
“Trust has been destroyed by government. It is up to them to retrieve it to avert any strike. On our part, we are ready for any action and our readiness is now,” he said.
Maigoro said that the union appreciates the interest demonstrated by the Nigerian Inter-religion Council (NIREC) with a view to resolving the current impasse, but regretted that it would not yield any positive result.
He appealed to students, parents and Nigerians to understand and support the union in its bid to salvage the education system from total collapse.
The Tuesday before at the presidential villa, Abuja, President Buhari, while receiving members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev’d Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle and
the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, urged the union to be cognizant of the fiscal pressures the government is currently facing.
“Nevertheless, we remain committed to honoring our promises,” he said.
He commended the leadership of NIREC for intervening in the year-long strike by ASUU and holding consultations with the parties, saying no society which wishes itself well neglects its educational system and all its component parts.
This is even as he urged the council to tell ASUU that his administration regards them and the service they provide to the nation very highly.
“For their part, I would like to encourage ASUU to continue to work with us towards finding resolutions to the challenges that confront us.
“My administration is committed to this engagement and dialogue, and I urge them to stay the course towards a joint resolution in the best interest of our children and nation,” he was quoted as saying by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina.
On the issue raised by NIREC on finding sustainable solutions to the perennial and disruptive strikes that threaten the sanctity and integrity of the nation’s university system, the President said he had directed his Chief of Staff, the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Education to make resolving this issue a priority.
He added, “’To show our commitment, several payments have been made over the last 6 months, addressing several of the issues you raised – details of which the Minister of Labour and Employment can make available to you.
“’Funding has also been provided for infrastructure development across several public universities and several of them have begun drawing down on this facility to improve their level of infrastructure.
“Finally, and perhaps the most contentious of issues regarding the decision to use either the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) or the University Transparency Accountability Solutions (UTAS).
“As you may be aware, IPPIS was introduced as a means of blocking leakages. Through IPPIS, the Federal Government was able to save over N100 billion annually from the core civil service alone. In view of the resistance from ASUU we devised UTAS which is now on the table.”